Late post for yesterday ,14:00....
Damp and miserable, however...
Juvenile dipper and male grey wagtail near bridge site.
Several chiffchaff heard.
Literally dozens of magpies everywhere.
Otherwise,generally quiet.
For those interested, the pre-fabricated bridge is due to be lifted into place on Thursday 14th June,( early pm , according to the sign !.)
New footpath is completed,but not yet open.Unless a fence is erected,it should give loose dogs much greater access to the field where the lapwings and stock doves used to be !!!

Cheers Chris

Lesser whitethroat could be heard singing this afternoon from the hedgerow between the two largest fields. Not much else of great note really, and no surprise, what with a wedding reception going on at the chapel (anything for a buck eh, Stockport Council!), and the disturbance caused by the bridge building at the weir AND the intrusion at the back of the marsh which has removed valuable cover. Any 'improvements' to the area have been knocked back by these developments.

2 pairs Mandarin Duck in Chapel Filed
1 male Gossander to the left of the weir on a very swollen river
2 Grey heron on the old mill pond
usual small stuff

Late post for yesterday, 2pm - 3 pm, just before I lost a fortune on the gee gees!
Don't worry Geoff, there were two pairs of mandarins back on Chapel Field, also two stock doves.
Single snipe seen on old mill pond.
Pair of grey wagtails near new bridge site , one bird appeared to be hovering over the river ,taking small flies from the water's surface..
Female great spotted woodpecker , near last year's nest hole .
Buzzard over,
Three jays ,squabbling together , on edge of Kirk Wood .
Plenty of the usual sp. around .

Cheers Chris

I thought we were safe, but no - 2 Canada Geese on the fast draining old mill pond. Nothing else around, but Grey heron flying over.

-- Edited by Geoff Walton on Saturday 7th of April 2012 01:25:53 PM

4.30 - 5.10.

I went down to look at the new bridge construction from the Marple side of the river. No Harris Hawk for me but there were 6 Buzzards in the air at one time. One of the Buzzards appeared to have a small, square, creamy coloured wing tag on the right wing. No lettering noted.

12.00.

I heard a Green Woodpecker yaffling in the Marple Dale area. Presumably the bird moved downstream to Kirk Wood by 13.00.

Cheers, John

11-00 to 2-00pm

Great Spotted Woodpecker calling and drumming, actually managed to watch him drumming.
4 longtailed tits
about 10 chiffchaff
lots of Chaffinch
6 Nuthatch
4 Greenfinch
1 Pair of Mandarin duck on chapel pond.

At 1pm as I was about to return to my car when I heard a Green Woodpecker yaffling, so about turn and off in search.
Managed a brief glimpse as it flew through kirkwood between the weir and the chapel. He then flew over the chapel, behind the barns. As I passed the walled garden I saw a large hawk in the sky. It was soaring at first then hovered for a moment then soared off again towards cherrytree.
I believe it could have been the Harris hawk that Geoff mentioned but can't be certain.
Mentioned it to the warden who told me he had seen it in the trees by the barns!

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 31st of March 2012 04:57:51 PM

Sat 9.30-10.30

Goldfinch
Nuthatch
LT Tit
G tit
Dunnock
Robin
Chiffchaff
Grey Heron on old mill lodge - but could not see any snipe
GSWoodpecker drumming in Kirk Wood
2 pairs Mandarin Duck in the scape nearest the Chapel in Chapel Field
3 Buzzard over Kirk Wood


-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 24th of March 2012 02:11:49 PM

Where were the Goldcrests Chris,down in the picknic area?

I'm pretty sure that Kestrels 'cache' their prey items in larders. Presumably it's in readiness for feeding chicks, on a day where conditions dictate that the bird won't be able to hunt.

A lovely walk arround the estate this afternoon to check on the progress of the new footbridge at the weir, connecting Marple to Romiley, coming on nicely.

Had great views of two treecreepers (obviously without my camera) at close range.
A couple of Greater Spotted Woodpeckers were staking their territory, one either side of the Chapel hammering away to each other.
Had a brief glimpse of a Sparrowhawk diving through the saplings.

But the highlight of the walk was a very obliging Kestrel came and perched about 50 yards away. Whilst I was watching he dropped into the undergrowth and caught a wood mouse. I saw the whole thing!

He then took it to a high branch and killed it, About two minutes laster he dropped down to a tree stump about 18" out ofthe ground, still with mouse, where I though he would consume it.
But as my wife had taken control of the bins he took off again and she said he didnt have it with him.

I decided to examine the tree stump and scrambled up the banking (just above the walled garden) and sure enough there was the Woodmouse, dead, carefully placed is a depression in the stump.

I wonder if this is a common activity, as I have never heard of it before and didnt have time to wait to discover if he would have returned for it.

I would appreciate any comments, and once again a very lovely walk.
Forgot to mention the Chiffchaffs, I should think about ten in all, seemed to be everywhere.
Ken

-- Edited by Ken Dunning on Thursday 22nd of March 2012 08:33:17 PM

-- Edited by Ken Dunning on Thursday 22nd of March 2012 08:35:59 PM

-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Thursday 22nd of March 2012 09:18:18 PM

Co-incidence or not there were exactly 21 Lapwing in a field at Middle Farm, Bredbury this morning. One had a damaged wing which it couldn't fold and held high above its body.

Cheers, John

A male Brambling showed very well in Kirk Wood this morning. Other than that the main interest was the police presence - I was questioned as to where I had been and what I was doing but I'm none the wiser as to what it was all about.

Survey work is underway in 'Pylon' Field. A footpath is to be laid on the field side of the hedge to take pedestrian traffic off the road. Work should also commence in March on the picnic site bridge over the Goyt.

Cheers, John

4th Feb

13 Snipe in pylon field
22 Fieldfare dropped in
3 Buzzards over
7 Lapwing over
16-26 Cormorants over (parties of 10 west, 4 and 12 east)

LNY: 1 Brambling (per John Tromans)

1 Weasel at very close range.

Cheers, John

Afternoon wander along the Goyt from Marple Dale & a circuit of Chadkirk.

4 Goosander on the river (1M 3F)
Dipper heading upstream
Flock of 5 Long Tailed Tit...they seem to be everywhere at the moment
1 Moorhen just before the weir, don't ever remember seeing this species on this particular stretch of the river, but i'm sure someone will prove me wrong.

Alot of construction work has taken place recently on the new bridleway on the Marple side of the river, between the weir & the Chadkirk bend, be warned, its ankle
deep in mud in some places.

Chadkirk produced 2 Buzzard & a Treecreeper, otherwise, pretty quiet.

When I had walked around the circuit, I went back and approached the Mill Pond. from the back in the estate. I saw a couple of Snipe fly, and flushed a couple as I tried to get near the water.

Not much else about. The usual Tits in the woods, and flying to and from at the House gate

Wed 11th Jan (10.30 - 11.40)

Song Thrush 3
Mistle Thrush 1
Snipe 5 on Mill Pool (7 on the 8th Jan)
Chaffinch c25
Brambling 1 (with Chaffinch flock in Kirk Wood)
Nuthatch 3
Coal Tit 1
Great/Blue/LT Tits
Redwing 6

Cheers, John

Stroll along the Goyt at Marple Dale this morning.
Grey Wagtail
Dipper
spent 10 minutes watching a pair of Willow Warbler feeding 3/4 Juveniles
Juvenile Goosander looking lost without its parents
Blue & LongTailed Tits in abundance
& have discovered a new Wrens nest

A lesser whitethroat in good voice this afternoon in the hedgerow between the large 'meadow' opposite the Chapel and the field beyond. It was probably agitated by the fox sniffing around the hedge.

On the river at the picnic area, saw kingfisher and dipper within ten minutes. The kingfisher was sat on the nearside stone block of the weir. A few dozen house martins and swallows were swooping over the river and nearby fields wherever there was a bit of cover. Otherwise the usual buzzards, chiffchaffs, blackcaps etc...

8 Snipe on the strip of water to the right of the pylon, plus a couple of Mistle Thrush on the other side of the field.

Glad you bore me in mind when you cut the hedge John -thanks

Flying visit yesterday ,(11/02/11 ) pm .
Usual selection of tits and finches ,
Goldcrest ,seen from bridge over the stream.
Two dippers (flying downstream together )
single grey wagtail,
Dozens of magpies, woodpigeons and jackdaws .
only two stock doves
two rooks over .
nuthatch near feeders.
Buzzard , ( very high over )
6 m and 5f mallards , wandering between scrapes.
Cheers Chris

Thanks for the tour Geoff and the coffee - you forgot the Mandarins.

A brief stroll round to show "our patch" to A fellow GM Birder met at Woodley, but the Waxwings did not show.
Blue Tits
Great Tits
LT Tits
Blacbirds
Maggies
Treecreeper

Nice to meet up with you Sid

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all the visitors and subscribers to Chadkirk, your reports and enthusiasm is very much appreciated.

first thing New Years day there was 26 Black headed Gulls on the open patch of water in the new scrape and 24 Canada Geese in the Wild Flower meadow.

the muck spreading also brought in large numbers of Woodies and Stock Dove with the usual Jackdaws and Mallards in Broadheys.

Steve,

The other good place to wait for Kingfisher is against the fence in the picnic area overlooking the broken wier, you may also get Dipper and Grey wagtail as well and Goosander, Heron etc. If you are looking for the Kingfisher on the brook then the best place is to wait around the concrete bridge and you may just get lucky as it's been seen there quite a lot in recent weeks.

Good luck and enjoy your birding, don't get too hung up on what you didn't see, just enjoy what you do see! why not give me a shout if you see me working around Chadkirk i may just be able to point you in the right direction.

Cheers,

JR